July 2006

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“p.s. if you can show from scripture that I am wrong (not unaided human reason), I will change my position. But it is clear that I have provided you with the Bible’s unassailable logic and unless you can clearly show how my interpretation is wrong from Scripture and not just because you don’t like it, then I suggest you consider that you may very well be wrong about your understanding.”

I found this on a doctrinal website. It’s the postscript from a letter published by the website’s author in response to a man who wrote in with an opposing viewpoint on a particular doctrine. In the letter, the author attempts to further explain and defend his original position, as well as “illuminate” the concerned reader. the details of the argument aren’t important. i decided not even to post a link because i don’t think it would be beneficial for anyone to read it.

as i read the letter, i started boiling on the inside.

Does this attitude bother anyone else?

Let me re-order these phrases for a different look at it: “I suggest YOU consider that you may very well be wrong.” “It’s CLEAR that I’ve provided you with the Bible’s unassailable logic.”

My interpretation (unaided human reason, no doubt): I want you to be humble and open to a different interpretation, but I clearly don’t need to be humble and open because I hold the key to the Bible’s unassailable logic. Now I’ve graciously provided that to you, so that should clear this issue up for you. If not, prove me wrong. No. Prove the Bible wrong. Oh….and you’re welcome.

no wonder i’m sometimes ashamed to call myself a christian. it has nothing to do with being ashamed of christ and everything to do with being ashamed of christians.

sorry for the rant. kind of. okay, so i got a little arrogant in my rant against arrogance. but it’s righteous anger, just like jesus.

disagree?

prove me wrong.

hope

“the quality of hope can only exist in relationship to the future. when hope is directed toward the past, it becomes despair.”

-erwin raphael mcmanus
“stand against the wind”

do you ever have a song that you feel like carries an important message, meant for you, that’s deeper than the lyrics appear on a surface level? for example, the first time i heard “fix you” by coldplay i had an immediate emotional reaction that i still haven’t quite nailed down after who knows how many spins. it’s visceral. spiritual.

the lyrics and the musical arrangement, when combined with certain of your own life experiences, current circumstances or surroundings, take on more meaning.

i realize that in some circles it’s considered silly to try to give meaning to a song that may or may not be intended by the songwriter. and many songwriters enjoy being just vague enough. not so literal or specific that the song loses a universal appeal, but lyrically detailed enough that you want to know the real story. Then you can find out if your particular connection to the song is warranted.

“all kinds of time” by fountains of wayne is another song that has been working on me for a couple of years. in my gut i know that it’s about more than football, but i can’t quite grasp the larger meaning that i should be getting.  before i go sputtering through my working personal application, i wonder if anyone would care to offer some ideas.  depending on the interest, i may post again about my own thoughts on it.

(warning - this is one of those songs that loses some of its guts when you’re just reading the lyrics. i suggest paying the .99 cents and downloading it from iTunes to get the full effect.)

all kinds of time
by fountains of wayne
from cd, welcome interstate managers

The clock’s running down
The team’s losing ground
To the opposing defense
The young quarterback
Waits for the snap
When suddenly it all starts to make sense

He’s got all kinds of time
He’s got all kinds of time
All kinds of time
He’s got all kinds of time
All kinds of time

He takes a step back
He’s under attack
But he knows that no one can touch him now
He seems so at ease
A strange inner peace
Is all that he’s feeling somehow

He’s got all kinds of time
He’s got all kinds of time
All kinds of time
He’s got all kinds of time
All kinds of time
He thinks of his mother
He thinks of his bride-to-be
He thinks of his father
His two younger brothers
Gathered around the widescreen TV

He looks to the left
He looks to the right
And there in a golden ray of light
Is his open man
Just as he planned
The whole world is his tonight

Okay, here’s the link of the day, thanks to my friend John Carlson…

Haven’t we all dreamed of having Jesus himself welcome visitors to our church website?  No?  Well, now you can, for as little as $9.95 per month, thanks to SitePal.  If you upgrade to the $19.95 monthly plan, you can even use the “seamless” and “natural” text to speech functionality.

Don’t believe me?

Well, see Jesus in action at CrossRevConnect.com, the online home of Newburgh Assembly of God youth group. (After Jesus finishes speaking, make sure to watch his eyes follow your mouse.)

Remember folks, you heard it here first!

Maybe it’s early onset midlife crisis, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about making sure that I make my one life count for something beyond myself. And I’m passionately pursuing specifically what that means for me. I’m trying to find the balance between pushing God to lay out the plan for me, and just stepping forward day by day, embracing whatever interruptions and opportunities are placed in my path, trusting that God is moving me purposefully. I’m learning to trust my desires as I delight in Him.

And I’m not alone either. I have a friend, Jon, who is stepping out from the security of a good job at a good church and stepping into a risky dream of starting a new church community. He describes it as something he must do. To Jon, the pain of looking back 10, 20, 30 years from now and wondering “What if I had pursued that dream?” is worse than the pain of potential failure.

Along those same lines, fellow voxer Lon Wong writes a very insightful and inspiring blog post about his own risky dream. Here’s a great quote from that post:

“I know plenty of people who have things they want to do in life, but the reality is, they’re just wish lists. Real dreams must be attempted.”

So true.

Country + Rap = Crap

It’s on a t-shirt from Hot Topic, so it must be true, right?

Anyway, here are a few of my own extrapolations:

1. Country does not necessarily equal crap.
2. Rap does not necessarily equal crap.
3. Country combined with Rap empirically equals crap.

Points 1 and 2 are both debatable. Point 3 has been proven. See Exhibit A.

Amen.

confession time….try as i might, i cannot live up to my best self. i have good days and bad days, but even the best days leave me with a nagging feeling in my gut as i put my head on the pillow at night. i was made for more. as hard as i try to kick myself in the butt to try harder, reach for more, etc. it can feel like a pointless pursuit.

here’s the cool, simple truth though. i believe it. it has that to-good-to-be-true-ness to it, but it still resonates in me as true and good. the truth is this: even though i have my ups and downs as far as how i feel about myself, god never does. he loves me - steady and strong. my performance doesn’t even enter into the equation. it’s given to me as a gift, made possible by the life, death and resurrection of christ.

chew on this….

“gifted response”
by matt redman

this is a gifted response
father, we cannot come to you by our own merit
we will come in the name of your son
as he glorifies you
and in the power of your spirit

we have come to something so mysterious
too deep for minds to comprehend
through the open door where the angels sing
and the host of heaven are antheming

and we’ll sing the glory of your name
celebrate the glories of your grace
we will worship you
we will worship you

and we’ll make your praise so glorious
singing songs of everlasting praise
we will worship you
we will worship you

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